Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday night that the man is Singaporean Sinhalese who had previously declared to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) that he is Christian.
The police had said that based on the preliminary investigations, the attacker is believed to have acted alone. They also do not suspect that this is an act of terrorism for now.
“The public is urged to remain calm and refrain from speculation as investigations are ongoing to ascertain the motive behind this incident,” said the police.
Four other weapons were also found on the suspect, who is not a regular at St Joseph’s Church, according to the police.
He will be charged in court on Monday with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon.
If found guilty, he faces a jail term of up to 15 years, as well as a fine or caning.
The police will seek a court order to remand the man at the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric evaluation.
